However, instead of simply riding Silevo’s commitment to produce a 200 megawatt factory, creating 475 new jobs in Buffalo, Musk’s organization upped the target manufacturing capacity by five times; SolarCity Corp. now intends to build a 1 gigawatt factory, which the company says will induce “well over 1,000 jobs.”

“Three years ago, few believed that we could bring the Buffalo economy roaring back to life,” Governor Cuomo said. “With today’s news, it is truly a sunny day in Buffalo: the prospect of thousands of new solar energy jobs coming to the region, marking another landmark investment and economic game-changer taking place in the new Western New York.”

The impact on the Buffalo community will likely be substantial: the jobs that will be created are manufacturing positions, which statistically aid the local economy better than, say, retail jobs. These economic effects will be even stronger given the fact that Buffalo has higher average unemployment and an aging population.

In addition, because the firm is working directly with the SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, industry experts will cross-collaborate between world-class research on solar technologies and SolarCity, as well as launch students directly into high-paying design and engineering positions within the firm.

Written by Maxwell Morgan

Maxwell was a Coordinator of Digital Engagement for The State University of New York.

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I currently have two Tesla Vehicles and 112 solar panels on my home roof and am happy to see Mr. Musk’s vision potentially reaching more directly into my community. I hope this is seen through to a functioning factory, we certainly need the jobs, and eventually I’ll need to upgrade my home solar system. Oh, and as long as he is building he should get that Buffalo supercharger on line!!